A perfect blend of Intelligence and Stupidity

Even though the Argentine team crashed out in the Quarter Finals, a young side with an abundance of attacking talent has every reason to feel confident going into the first South American World Cup since 1978 – where the Albiceleste came out on top on home soil.

Current coach Diego Maradona is still umming and aahing his position with the same spectacle and media-friendly soundbites with which he has conducted his entire reign. Whoever is in charge come 2014, however, will find the most pressing worries come in defence – positively calamitous against Germany, there will be more questions posed with the unavailability of Walter Samuel, Gabriel Heinze and Javier Zanetti. The rest of the team will have a rather familiar look to it:

Goalkeeper Sergio Romero did nothing to disgrace himself in South Africa, and at only 27 next time around will have more bigtime experience under his belt. A possible contender could be Independiente’s Adrian Gabbarini, who had a great season for the Rojo and is an interesting prospect.

Cristian Ansaldi, Clemente Rodriguez and Emiliano Insua are all possibilities to fill the problem full-back slots, which were never really resolved in this World Cup. In the centre, expect a savvier and more streetwise Nicolas Otamendi to become a defensive titan, while Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Burdisso will still be on the scene. Keep an eye out for Boca’s Matias Caruzzo, who will be 29 in 2014 and was immense for Clausura winners Argentinos Juniors.

In midfield, if Argentina decide to abandon Dieguitos ‘Ataquen ataquen ataquen’ mentality and adopt the 4-2-3-1 setup of Spain and Holland, they have two ready made pivot men in Javier Mascherano and Mario Bolatti, who will be 30 and 29 respectively. This will leave Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore and Lanus talent Sebastian Blanco to fill the ‘Lionel Messi plus two more’ space in front.

Javier Pastore¦ Watch out for El Flaco in 2014

Up front, Diego Milito will be gone, Gonzalo Higuain will need to prove that he can score goals in the real crunch international games after disappearing against the Germans. The Real Madrid man is still a baby and has plenty of time to prove himself as real world-class; the likes of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Franco Jara, Lisandro Lopez and young Racing man Gabriel Hauche will be more than willing to step in should Pipita fall by the wayside.

If you want to know who will be the biggest stars of the Selecao as Brazil try to win the World Cup on home soil, all you have to do is look back on some of the players public and press thought should have been in South Africa. The young Santos stars Neymar and Ganso will probably be mature and will have proven their talent by 2014. A mix of those young stars with some experienced players who took part in the campaign of 2010 should make Brazil’s team for the next World Cup.

For the goalkeeping spot, Julio Cesar will be 34 in 2014, which should not be a problem considering that the position allows players to be in the highest level for a long time. As a substitute, Victor, from Gremio, one of the players left out of Dunga’s call-up unfairly, will have his chance to be the first choice behind Cesar.

At the full-back spots, Maicon will be an experienced and proven player on the right side, with the quality that makes him the best at his position. On the left, Marcelo will have the chance to be a starter in his first World Cup, given that he continues to grow at Real Madrid. As a substitute to Maicon or any midfielder, Daniel Alves will still be a reliable option. At centre defence, the promising Mario Fernandes, from Gremio, will be mature and established as a world class defender. His partner will be Thiago Silva, who by then will probably evolve into a more regular and steady defender after years in Italy’s Serie A. As their main replacement, Sao Paulo’s Miranda will be a good option as he has similar qualities as the two starters.

Ganso ¦ World class in 2014?

In midfield, Hernanes, the Sao Paulo hero, will finally get his deserved chance and pair up with Benfica’s Ramires to make a very offensive-minded set of defensive midfielders. In front of them, the veteran Kaka will have the brilliance of the young and talented, Paulo Henrique ‘Ganso’, of Santos, who by then will probably be one of the world’s best players. As substitutes, Sandro will be an option for strengthening the defense, while Phillippe Coutinho can fill in for an injured Kaka or Ganso.

Up front, the young starlet Neymar should be in his prime, just like his teammate Ganso. He will make an explosive and fast-paced pair with Alexandre Pato, who will be more mature and established after long years at Milan. Substitutes will be the veterans Robinho and Nilmar.

As the nation picks through the wreckage of yet another disappointing display by England at a major tournament, much discussion will centre on the end of the so-called ‘golden generation’. What now for the likes of Terry, Lampard, Gerrard, Cole and Ferdinand? Most of the England team at the World Cup were in and around the late twenties and early thirties so the next four years we will see a generational change – one that we have not seen in over a decade in England – with few survivors from the class of 2010.

Unquestionably it will be time for many players to bow out from the international stage. David James, 39, Ledley King, 29 and David Beckham, 35 are unlikely to play for England again, whilst Emile Heskey, 32, Frank Lampard, 32 and Rio Ferdinand 31 could all see their places in the side come under threat from younger, hungrier players as Fabio Capello seeks to rejuvenate his team.

After being deemed disruptive by Capello in South Africa, John Terry, 29, may find himself eased out of the England set up in the next few years whilst Steven Gerrard, 30 may stick around for longer. If the Liverpool skipper is still part of the England set up in four years time, he could be there for his experience and used sparingly as a defensive midfielder.

Joe Hart is in pole position to be England’s number 1 keeper for some years to come, whilst Glen Johnson could be the sole survivor of a major changing off the guard in the team’s defence. Ashley Cole, 29, has played at three World Cups already and is unlikely to represent England at a fourth. But Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs seems to be the most likely and natural replacement for the Chelsea left back. At centre-back, Tottenham’s Michael Dawson would have benefited from the experience of being part of the squad in South Africa and is ever-improving, whilst Bolton’s Gary Cahill is highly regarded by Capello and could receive a call up when he recovers from a blood clot in his arm.

Despite England’s woeful World Cup, the reputation of Aston Villa’s James Milner continues to grow and his versatility will ensure that he remains an England player for the next few years. Arsenal’s 18 year-old wonderkid Jack Wilshere has a bright future and had already gained plenty of experience in the England junior set-up. In Lee Cattermole, Sunderland have the terrier-like midfielder that England sorely needed in South Africa. Cattermole has also accumulated plenty of Premier League playing time and has established himself in the England under 21’s, so should come into Capello’s thinking over the coming years. Manchester City’s mercurial winger Adam Johnson will develop over the next four years too.

Jack Wilshere¦ One of few promising English talents

They are several promising young strikers in and around the England under 21 set up. Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge, Newcastle’s Andy Carroll and Aston Villa’s Nathan Delfouneso amongst them. All appear to have the raw talent and potential to gatecrash the England team. But it could be Wigan’s Victor Moses to partner Wayne Rooney up front, as he is this country’s most promising young talent and could be a real ‘wildcard’ at a World Cup like Michael Owen was in 1998.

Arsenal’s Theo Walcott will also be given another chance to fulfil his obvious potential and many England supporters will have hopes that in four year’s time he will have developed the composure and game intelligence to go with his electric pace. Wayne Rooney will be back in 2014 and hungrier than ever to prove his critics wrong after a disastrous World Cup 2010. Rooney is a future England captain and at the age of 28 would possess the experience to lead this young side.

England’s class of 2014 will probably not be equipped to the get to the World Cup final. But this will be a young team combined with a couple of older heads much like Joachim Loew’s Germany at this World Cup. If England can make half the impact that the Germans did then this would be progress.

France’s World Cup disaster is liable to lead to significant changes over the next four years. Out will go veteran faces such as Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Eric Abidal and possibly even Patrice Evra, clearing the way for a raft of new players to establish themselves under Laurent Blanc, who has of course stepped in to replace the highly controversial Raymond Domenech.

While some areas of the team will likely see a great overhaul, in goal les Bleus will not change significantly. Hugo Lloris has positioned himself to be one of the world’s outstanding custodians for the next decade and is unlikely to be shifted, while Steve Mandanda is still young in goalkeeping terms and will likely deputise. Johann Carrasso may well come through the ranks to trouble brother Cedric for this final berth.

Lloris’ defence is likely to be drastically changed. It would be a surprise if Philippe Mexes wasn’t given a run under Blanc, and should he prove successful, the Roma defender will surely start at World Cup 2014. Alongside him it will either be one of the emerging talents of Adil Rami or Mamadou Sakho to feature, though it’s still feasible that Sebastien Squillaci, Marc Planus or even Michael Ciani is fit to play. Right-back at present seems to be a stick-on for Bacary Sagna still, though it will be interesting to see the progress of Mapou Yanga-M’Biwa and Garry Bocaly, but the similar position on the left is far more opaque. France have a clutch of talented left-sided full-backs and by 2014 it’s likely that Patrice Evra will have been usurped. Gael Clichy is in pole position at the present time, but Aly Cissokho or Benoit Tremoulinas could have a foot in the door in four years, especially as the latter is a favourite of Blanc from his time at Bordeaux.

Changes will also be afoot in the centre of the park. Moussa Sissoko should be a regular in the squad come Brazil, and it may well be that he is the box-to-box player of the team. Lassana Diarra, Yann M’Vila and Jeremy Toulalan will be left to squabble over who controls the anchoring role, with the most in-form at the time likely to claim the spot. Alou Diarra will also be in with a shout of this position, though at 32-years-old, it’s unlikely he’ll be heavily involved in the squad. In the more attacking midfield positions, Yoann Gourcuff continues to hold the hopes of France as an heir to Zinedine Zidane. He will have to iron out inconsistencies in his game if les Bleus are to truly flourish. Meanwhile, Samir Nasri will push the Bordeaux player all the way.

Yoann Gourcuff¦ Must perform in Brazil

Out wide, don’t expect to see Franck Ribery displaced unless he continues to pick up injuries regularly, as he did last season. Mathieu Valbuena will remain an option, but he would appear likely to be a squad player in the making, while Bakary Sako, Karim Ait-Fana and Franck Tabanou will want to continue their recent upward trend and have forced their way into the senior team reckoning by 2014. One name to watch out for is Gael Kakuta of Chelsea; he’ll only be 22 when the World Cup in Brazil starts, but his promise suggests it’s not unfeasible to predict he’ll be in the reckoning by then.

A contemporary of Kakuta, Yannis Tafer may eventually break into the senior team, but doing so by 2014 is perhaps a little optimistic. The Olympique Lyonnais man would have to muscle his way by several established talents such as Karim Benzema, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Djibril Cisse, Jimmy Briand and Loic Remy, all of who will expect to be involved in the World Cup squad in four years time.

Germany may have been dark horses at the 2010 World Cup, but make no mistake: they will surely be among the top contenders for 2014. With only Miroslav Klose, Arne Friedrich, and reserve goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt likely to have retired from international competition, the core of the 2010 Germany squad will return a much more experienced team.

Depending on form, Manuel Neuer or Rene Adler will start in goal. Tim Wiese and newcomer Tobias Sippel should round off the backups, with Roman Wiedenfeller being a suitable reserve in the event of a major injury crisis.

In defense, Philipp Lahm is, and will always be, a shoe-in. The other three defensive positions are very much up in the air. Mats Hummels, who was arguably the Bundesliga’s best defender in 2009-10, should break into the first team within the next four years. He will compete with Per Mertesacker, as well as youngsters Holger Badstuber, Benedikt Hoewedes, and, assuming he plays club football in his natural central position, Jerome Boateng. Aside from Lahm, the other natural fullback options will be Marcell Jansen, Marcell Schaefer, and Andreas Beck. Rising star Christopher Buchtmann, who will be 22 by the start of the next World Cup, is an outside contender.

Like Lahm, 81-times capped midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is irreplaceable, and will be first choice in the centre of the park. His partner, however, is anything but certain. Sami Khedira had a good tournament, but Simon Rolfes is more than capable competition. Youngsters Sven and Lars Bender also have a chance, as does natural playmaker Toni Kroos, who could take a role similar to that which Khedira played in 2010.

As of now, the four attacking positions (three midfield, one centre forward) are completely undecided. Thomas Mueller, who had five goals and three assists in 2010, should earn a starting berth, and can play in any attacking position. Lukas Podolski, who has the undying support of coach Jogi Loew (who is likely to extend his stay with Germany in the next few weeks), also has an advantage and can play either on the left flank or as the lone centre forward. Other options in the position of striker are youngsters Richard Sukuta-Pasu and Lennart Thy, as well as the more established Mario Gomez and Stefan Kiessling.

Oezil & Mueller¦ World class duo in 2014

After being shortlisted for the golden ball award in 2010, Mesut Oezil might be considered a shoe in for the playmaker role, but if he does not improve his fitness, Loew will be concerned about his ability to complete an entire tournament. Look out for Mario Goetze, who at 18, is widely regarded as the World’s best footballer at his age. If he does not come to fruition in time for 2014, any of Toni Kroos, Marko Marin, and a host of others may earn a starting role.

Below are the options for attacking midfield and centre forward, in decreasing order of the probability of their inclusion in the starting lineup.

Despite a disastrous 2010 World Cup, Azzurri fans certainly can be optimistic ahead of Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014 and there is enough top class young talent coming through for Italy to challenge for the title again in Brazil under new coach Cesare Prandelli.

Many of the class of 2010 will be long gone by the time 2014 comes around. Fabio Cannavaro and Rino Gattuso have already retired from international football, but Mauro Camoranesi, Vincenzo Iaquinta, and Antonio Di Natale will all be in their mid-to-late thirties and thus far too old. Andrea Pirlo, at 35, cannot be completely ruled out due to his unique style of play but even he is a long-shot. Angelo Palombo and Alberto Gilardino will both be 32 and have better options in front of them.

Injuries-permitting, Gianluigi Buffon is unlikely to be challenged in goal although Palermo’s Salvatore Sirigu could become his new deputy ahead of the shaky Federico Marchetti of Cagliari. In defence new Juventus signing Marco Motta and Inter’s Davide Santon will take the full back positions, although there will be competition from Fiorentina’s Lorenzo De Silvestri, Genoa’s Domenico Criscito, Palermo’s Mattia Cassani, and Torino’s Angelo Ogbonna. Inter’s Giulio Donati could be a darkhorse. At centre back, there will be an all-Juventus pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Alternatives in this position include the supremely talented, yet impulsive, Fabiano Santacroce of Napoli, Bari’s Andrea Ranocchia and Genoa’s Salvatore Bocchetti.

In centre midfield, Roma symbol Daniele De Rossi is a guarantee and he will be partnered by Sampdoria starlet Andrea Poli, who should have developed into a top class performer by 2014. Substitutes Claudio Marchisio of Juventus, Liverpool’s Alberto Aquilani (if he is fit), Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo (due to the Prandelli connection), Sevilla’s Tiberio Guarente, Napoli’s Luca Cigarini, Zenit’s Alessandro Rosina, and Cagliari’s Andrea Lazzari will be worth looking out for. Cesena’s Ezequiel Schelotto and Sampdoria’s Roberto Soriano have been touted for their potential also. Antonio Cassano will finally get the chance to shine on the biggest stage and will be the main creative force with Inter enfant terrible Mario Balotelli to his left and Udinese’s Antonio Candreva to his right. New Juventus signing Simone Pepe will have to shed his tag as a Marcello Lippi favourite if he is to stick around.

Antonio Cassano ¦ Will finally get World Cup chance

As the lone attacker, Manchester United’s Federico Macheda has the raw attributes to be a real handful come 2014. There will be plenty of other firepower for coach Prandelli to choose from, such as Juventus’s Sebastian Giovinco, Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi, Cagliari’s Alessandro Matri, Parma’s Davide Lanzafame, Sampdoria’s Giampaolo Pazzini and Guido Marilungo, Parma’s Alberto Paloschi, and even Lazio’s Argentine-born fantasista Mauro Zarate if he pledges his allegiance to Italy.

After only just missing out on the 2010 World Cup, the core of Holland’s squad will be looking for revenge in Brazil. Oranje made it to the final in the last South American World Cup in 1978 and they will be full of confidence following their performances in South Africa. It’s not clear yet whether national team coach Bert van Marwijk will continue, while there will also be a number of players who are about to say farewell to the game.

First choice goalie Maarten Stekelenburg will still be the man between the sticks for Oranje in 2014. Current third choice Sander Boschker will retire in the near future and Vitesse star Piet Velthuizen will probably take his place. Full-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst is about to hang up his boots this summer, while centre back Andre Ooijer won’t make it to Brazil 2014 either. There are a number of promising defenders coming through though. Chelsea duo Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt could make the team in four years time, while Erik Pieters (PSV) and Royston Drenthe of Real Madrid are also candidates to make it into Oranje’s next World Cup squad.

Out of the two holding midfielders, Mark van Bommel will retire ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Possible replacements for the Bayern Munich star are Feyenoord youngster Leroy Fer and Twente midfielder Wout Brama, while Ibrahim Afellay could also fill in for Van Bommel. In the playmaker position, the national team coach will have the luxury to take a pick between Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart, while Ajax youngster Siem de Jong has also greatly developed last season.

Sneijder, Kuyt & Robben ¦ Trio will be in Brazil

Expect very much the same names in Brazil up front for the Dutch. Players such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Arjen Robben will all make it to another World Cup, while Eljero Elia and Ryan Babel are still young, too. Feyenoord starlet Luc Castaignos has the potential to make it into Oranje in four years time, but it remains to be seen how he develops.

After crashing out of the 2010 World Cup in the Round of 16, the Portuguese fans may expect a quite similar squad for the tournament in Brazil.

In the Seleccao goal, Eduardo is expected to remain favourite in the starting XI, with his biggest challenge coming in the form of Sporting’s Rui Patricio. With Ricardo Carvalho 36 years old by the time the World Cup starts, Bruno Alves and Pepe are favoured to form the centre-back duo. Bosingwa, who missed out on the 2010 tournament with injury, should start on the right, while Fabio Coentrao is expected to remain on the opposite side.

In the midfield, Miguel Veloso should be the most defensive piece, and he is tipped to start behind Raul Meireles and Joao Moutinho, the latter now the Seleccao’s playmaker following the retirement of Deco. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma should be deployed on the wings, with Silvestre Varela a quality alternative for the left.

Cristiano Ronaldo ¦ Will still only be 29

In attack, Portugal’s problems remain: Liedson will be 36 years old, so Hugo Almeida is expected to be given the nod to start. As an alternative to the Werder Bremen striker, the Seleccao will have Carlos Saleiro of Sporting.

Fans who fear and dread Spain’s patient tiki-taka, possession football of the past two years might have to bear with a similar style of play again in four years’ time as La Seleccion are likely to retain the same core players for Brazil 2014.

Goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas will be 33 by the time Brazil 2014 rolls around and although there’s every chance that he could still be the No. 1, it’s hard to see him maintain the same acrobatic ability and his supreme reflexes – his two strongest points – at that age. Pepe Reina will be at a perfect age to take over, while young David De Gea could also be in contention to inherit the coveted goalkeeping jersey.

In defence, Carles Puyol, Carlos Marchena and Joan Capdevila are all certain to retire by then. While the left-back slot could be a problem, there’s no shortage of talent elsewhere. Cesar Azpilicueta, Nacho Monreal, Mikel San Jose, Alvaro Dominguez have all shown plenty of promise over the past season or so, while the two current stalwarts Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique will only be in their late-20’s.

In midfield, the big question is whether mastermind Xavi will still be available. The Barcelona maestro will be 34 and could yet feature, as his game does not rely on explosive pace or power. The problem, however, is that Spain have so many emerging young stars to keep an eye on across the midfield line, nevermind the current crop which includes Cesc Fabregas, Javi Martinez, Juan Mata and David Silva, who will only be 28 and Xabi Alonso who will turn 32 in 2014. Youngsters such as Fran Merida, Ander Herrera, Diego Capel, Sergio Canales will be waiting in the wings, not to mention a wealth of talent that are likely to come through in four years’ time.

Sergio Canales¦ Will break through by 2014

Golden Boy David Villa will be 32, and in Spain, unlike most other countries and leagues, forwards and attacking players who are in the wrong side of 30 are often overlooked for faster, stronger strikers. One player Spanish fans will be excited to see is Athletic Bilbao’s Iker Muniain. Like Villa and Pedro, Muniain is a versatile forward who likes to drift all over the pitch, but La Seleccion will also have a few options for target strikers if the likes of Alvaro Negredo and Roberto Soldado can come of age, while Fernando Torres, who will turn just 30, might get a shot at redeeming himself if he can take good care of his health.